Commutators spanning the matrices

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the set T, defined as all matrices of the form AB - BA, where A and B are nxn matrices. It is established that the span of T does not equal Mnn, indicating that T does not span the space of all nxn matrices. This conclusion is supported by the clarification that "span T is not Mnn" implies T's limitations in generating all possible nxn matrices.

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  • Understanding of linear algebra concepts, specifically matrix operations.
  • Familiarity with the definition of matrix commutators.
  • Knowledge of vector spaces and spans in the context of linear transformations.
  • Basic proficiency in mathematical notation and terminology related to matrices.
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  • Explore the properties of matrix commutators in linear algebra.
  • Study the implications of spans in vector spaces, focusing on Mnn.
  • Investigate examples of specific nxn matrices to see how they relate to the span of T.
  • Learn about the structure of Lie algebras and their connection to matrix commutators.
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Mathematicians, students of linear algebra, and anyone interested in the properties of matrices and their spans.

hkus10
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Let T be the set of all matrics of the form AB - BA, where A and B are nxn matrics. Show that span T is not Mnn.

1) does "span T is not Mnn" mean that Mnn does not span T?

Thanks
 
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Looks to me like what it means is that T does not span Mnn, not the other way around.
 

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